Posted by Commence on May 20, 2013 under Sales Training | 
This is a Sales Question and Answer article from guest poster Dave Kahle, author and leading sales educator. Follow Dave’s latest Tweets at @davekahle.
Q. Dave, I’m interested in what you would recommend for a subscription to a monthly sales magazine and a sales improvement seminar.
A. You have touched one of my hot-buttons with this question. So, forgive me if you give a longer answer than you expect.
First, let me applaud you for asking the question. As amazing as it sounds, I have come to the conclusion that only about 5% of sales people ever invest in their own growth and improvement. My understanding of that number has evolved over the years. I used to think it was much higher, but the more experience I gain, the more I’m convinced that it’s a rare and unusual sales person who will actually spend $20.00 or so to improve himself/herself, much less to actually go to a seminar. So, just by asking the question, you have indicated that you are probably in that top percentile of sales people. And, the fact that you probably will invest in improving yourself means that, over time, you will distance yourself from the pack.
Before I tackle your question head on, let me sketch a little more background. Here’s a phrase to remember: Learning event. What’s a learning event? It’s an experience you have in which you encounter some new ideas, you gain insights in new ways of seeing existing ideas, or you are reminded of behaviors and practices of which you may have been aware, but from which you have drifted away.
So, reading a newsletter could be a learning event. So could a sales meeting or a conversation with one of your colleagues. So could five minutes spent after a sales call reflecting on what went well and what didn’t.
What’s important is this: As a result of a learning event, you focus on some better behavior which you are going to implement in the future. Learning, for adults, is all about behavior. In other words, you must find something that you can do differently, and decide to do that thing.
For example, you may have participated in one of my seminars. That’s a learning event. Following the seminar, you say to yourself, “I really should spend more time prioritizing my customers, so that I don’t waste my time with low potential accounts.” That thought is the “better behavior” which you decided to pursue as a result of the learning event.
Generating those kinds of commitments is what learning is all about. When you asked for a recommendation, my belief is that you ultimately want to generate those commitments to “better behavior” in yourself or in the sales people you manage.
I sometimes hear this kind of comment, “I knew that” from an experienced sales person following a seminar. My response is, “So what?” This is not about what you know, it’s about what you do. So the question should not be, “Is this something new that you didn’t know?” The question should be, “Is this something good that you are not doing, or that you could do better than you are now?”
The emphasis has to be on action (behavior), not just knowledge. Here’s a real life example. I had a conversation with a sales manager calling me with a problem. He had read my “How to Excel at Distributor Sales” book, and was impressed with, among other things, the chapters on getting organized. He said, “It is such basic information, but yet they don’t do it.” He went on to say that getting your file system organized was fundamental, but when he rode with his sales people, none of them had done it.
That’s the point. They probably all knew that they should be organized, but none of them were doing it. You see, it wasn’t about knowledge, it was about behavior.
If you want to continually improve, then you regularly answer the question: “What could I do better than I am doing now?” The question is not, “What do I not know that I should know?” It’s not just knowledge, it’s knowledge applied that is the issue.
The way you find answers to that question is to regularly engage in learning events.
In other words, rather than just one intense day-long seminar once a year, I’d prefer you to be involved in a learning event at least once a month, if not weekly. My recommendation is four hours once a month. The systematic and regular involvement in learning events puts you in the mindset of continuous improvement, constantly stimulates you with new “better behaviors” and allows you the time to focus on one or two areas of improvement every month.
One more little piece of background before I provide some specific resources for you.
We all understand that people have different ways they learn best. One thing that is rarely acknowledged is that different media generally have a slightly different impact on our learning. For example, when we take in something strictly by ear, we have a tendency to believe it more and remember it less. That’s why you can’t remember last Sunday’s sermon in church. It may have sounded good at the time, but you’ve lost the message in the few days since then. Taking something in by reading has the opposite impact. We are more critical of the information, but we retain it longer. It’s not as believable, but is more memorable.
The best learning experiences, then, require you to listen, to read, and to do. In that way, you are far more likely to gain helpful answers to the question, “What could I be doing better than I am doing now?” By the way, that explains why my telephone seminars, in-person programs and multimedia programs are configured and structured the way they are. They are all designed to maximize your learning by appealing to a multiple number of senses.
Sales Training Resources
That brings us to this conclusion: If you are going to do “continuous improvement” effectively, then you need to regularly expose yourself to a variety of learning events, focusing on the question, “What could I do better than I am doing now?” as a way of gaining value from every experience.
Here, then, are a variety of resources:
1. Newsletters
Start with my ezine by subscribing at http://www.davekahle.com/mailinglist.htm
2. Magazines
Personal Selling Power has been a good quality publication, although I haven’t seen it around recently. I also subscribe to Sales & Marketing Management Magazine, which focuses both on management and sales. There are industry-specific publications for almost every trade group imaginable. Rather than attempt to list them here, let me just encourage you to get on their subscription lists. Contact the national association of companies who do what you do, and find out what publications are available for your industry.
3. Seminars
I have to admit that I’m a terrible critic of others in my business. I think there is so much fluff passed off as information by people who have no idea how to help people learn, that it’s outrageous. So, I rarely find someone to recommend.
Beyond that, there are dozens of learning events in the form of seminars. Ask around, and get word-of-mouth recommendations from people whose opinion you respect. AMA does a good job with almost everything they produce, although they are a little pricey.
4. Books
With about 50,000 books published in this country every year, you have an almost limitless variety from which to choose. I’m regularly asked to recommend a good book. My response is this: Read my books first. After you have read my books, then it really doesn’t matter much. If your attitude is right and you prepare your mind with the question, “What could I do better than I am doing now?” you’ll find something of value from almost any book.
Go to the library or the local book store, and pick up whatever appeals to you that day. Having said that, I have to admit that I am impressed with Neil Rackham’s books, and recommend them highly.
5. Other resources
Self-study multimedia programs are highly effective because they appeal to all the basic ways to learn. I specialized in them, and you’ll find a variety on my website. If you really want to get serious, check our Sales Resource Center® where we deliver 455 multimedia training programs 24/7 over the web – but remember, it’s only for the top 5-percenters of the world.
Whew! Now that’s a long answer to a short question. Hope this helps.
Article By Dave Kahle
Copyright MMXIII by Dave Kahle
All rights reserved
Posted by Commence on April 29, 2013 under Sales Training |
Breaking the ice with new customers is based on the initial meeting or point of contact. With that, it is important to have an understanding of the prospect’s purpose and goals. Preparation and planning for that initial meeting is imperative.
Although we use the word ‘meet’ to describe our first contact with new clients and others, what really matters is whether we connect with them. Whether you ultimately want to focus on selling office furniture, IT equipment, or marketing services to the customer, you have to first make a connection.
Every process is easier if you have a strategy.
The best way to ensure that will happen is to have a strategy. Strategies for breaking the ice with new customers should include careful prep work, and the meeting must include interacting with the individuals.
Strategies do not come with 100% guarantees; however, almost everyone agrees that talking with clients and customers is a great way to initiate a connection. It’s what to say and how to say it that seems to cause concerns.
Basic Tips
As mentioned, breaking the ice is not just meeting and greeting a customer; the goal is to make a true connection. In order to do that, it is important to initiate a conversation. Ideally that conversation will start on a positive note.
Real conversations are built on the exchange of ideas. This means each person gives and shares thoughts. As the conversation takes place, other things should also be happening. For instance, this is the time to work at finding a way to link the person with his or her name and personality and ideas.
Preparation for the Connection
Learning all you can about the person or business before the meeting makes it easier to know how to break the ice. Besides providing basic information that will be helpful, the knowledge learned can help you feel more confident and comfortable about the meeting.
It’s also a good idea to learn something about what is happening in the niche or industry that might impact the individual or business. In today’s world, it is usually a simple process to find information about industries, people, and businesses online.
Arming yourself with this information makes starting conversations a simple process. In addition, it makes it easier to align yourself with the potential customers’ perspectives.
Body Language Speaks
Your body language may say more than your words do. This means it is important to give consideration to the way you dress and present yourself. Plus, the tone of your voice and the way you say things does matter.
Customers are people, and they want to connect with individuals they feel comfortable with. Most people feel comfortable with someone who displays confidence and authenticity.
Do you present yourself with confidence and poise?
Sometimes it’s the simple things that get overlooked. That is, we forget to smile and make eye contact or to offer a firm handshake. Once again, preparation counts. Good posture along with appropriate attire is a great start in the preparation for a meeting with a new or potential customer.
Align with the Potential Client
After preparing for the meeting, you will have some information about what matters most to the potential customer. But keep in mind that establishing a real rapport will make the meeting go more smoothly.
Take the time to ease into the conversation. As the discussion unfolds, it is your job to actively listen to what the potential client is saying. Listen for the deeper messages. This allows you the opportunity to provide insights about how your company or products can help the client meet his or her needs.
Listen closely for the deeper message behind the words spoken.
Listen Closely
Although you have lots to say about your business or product, it is very important that you listen closely to what the client has to say. Much can be learned about a client’s needs, goals, and desires through the information he/she shares.
After all, most meetings are restricted to a tight time frame. With that in mind, whatever the client spends time talking about ranks high on his/her priority list.
Final Points
When your focus is on breaking the ice with new clients, your real goal should be on ways you can help the potential customers. Approaching the task in this manner takes the mystery out of the process and suddenly potential customers become people that have needs.
Planning and preparing for the meeting will help ensure there will be a true connection. If you are sincere in your efforts to help and you respectfully listen to the client’s ideas and perspectives, most ice-breaking meetings will turn into much more.
About the author:
Debbie Allen is a freelance writer and online marketer who often writes about business topics such as online reputation and selling office furniture.
Image “Business Strategy” courtesy of ddpavumba at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image “Confident Young Businessman Posing Casually” courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image “Thoughtful Business Person” courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Posted by Commence on April 24, 2013 under Sales Training |
This is a Sales Question and Answer article from guest poster Dave Kahle, author and leading sales educator. Follow Dave’s latest Tweets at @davekahle.
Q. What are your views on dress? Does it matter?
A. Sure it matters. Everything that you say and do matters. Dress can be a powerful part of your persona. On one hand, how you dress can facilitate your objectives and make you more effective, and on the other, inappropriate dress can present an obstacle to your interaction with customers.
Let’s get some basics out of the way.
1. Your dress should never be provocative or suggestive.
2. Your dress should never be outlandish or foolish.
Now, let’s get down to the strategic use of dress. Here is the next rule:
3. Dress like your customers, only a little better.
Your dress should convey to the customer that you are like him/her, not different from them. There was a time when men wearing a suit and tie, and women a skirted suit was the expected mode of dress. However, if you are calling on maintenance supervisors, foremen, or uniformed personnel, for example, that suit and tie separated you from your customer, making you seem aloof and unapproachable.
So, how does your customer dress?
One of my clients sold supplies to farmers. Dressing in flannel shirts, blue jeans and boots was OK, because that was how the farmers dressed. Note the second part of the rule, ”a little better.” That’s where your positioning as a successful, competent person comes in. You should, within the context of the customer’s world, look successful, competent and confident. So, if you are going to wear jeans and flannel shirts, they should be good quality jeans, (a good brand name), clean and pressed. Your flannel shirt should be a better than average brand, clean and pressed.
If are calling on management level people, it gets a little more challenging. In today’s world, some companies adhere to a coat and tie discipline, where others prescribe “business casual” for their employees. Honestly, I keep notes in my customer files as to what the mode of dress is in that organization. I keep it simple by using two categories: C&T (coat & tie), and BC (business casual). When I’m making one of my rare live sales calls, I check the file the day before so that I know how to dress.
One of the sales people in one of my classes shared his approach with me. He explained that he always wore grey dress slacks, a light blue button down collar shirt, a tie and a navy blazer. That way, he could dress up or down, depending on the situation. With the tie and blazer, he felt comfortable calling on coat and tie executives. If the call required a conversation with a front line supervisor, he’d remove the tie, and leave the blazer in the car. A nice approach. I’m sure there is a similar outfit that can be spontaneously dressed up or down for the women as well.
4. Once you have incorporated the previous three rules, if you want to take this issue to the level of the masters, and then incorporate the final rule: Dress in a way that expresses your own unique style and persona.
I’ve come across sales people who always wear lapel pins, for example. I vividly recall one sales person who wore the loudest tie I ever saw. When I asked him about it, he indicated that he found these very loud ties to be a conversation starter and a unique emblem of his. People remembered him for it.
In the last couple of years, I’ve come, more or less by accident, to develop a “style” of my own. Whenever I speak, I always wear a silk or cotton mock turtle neck shirt with a sport coat or blazer. Even though I routinely speak at conferences and conventions to audiences in the hundreds, I seldom wear a tie. That combination is now my style. I arrived at it by chance. Since I travel so much, like all frequent travelers, I try to fit everything in a carry-on. The silk shirts can be rolled in a ball and stuffed into the tiniest corners of a carry-on, without showing wrinkles or taking up nearly as much space as a starched shirt. After a while, I’ve standardized on them.
Hope this helps.
Article By Dave Kahle
Image “Adult Man Fastening Tie” courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Posted by Commence on July 25, 2012 under Sales Training |
This is a Customer Management article from guest poster Dave Kahle, author and leading sales educator. Follow Dave’s latest Tweets at @davekahle.
Article By Dave Kahle
Q. Help! I’m so frustrated. I just attended a “sales training” program that never addressed the real issues that I have to deal with every day.
What causes me problems is not my lack of sales ability, it is my company’s back orders, the lack of responsiveness and competence in my customer service people, and the mistakes in delivery by the warehouse. Those are the real issues. What can I do about those things?
A. Thank you for a “real world” perspective on the real issues that impact the ability of real sales people to do their jobs. I appreciate you asking the question that so many sales people are hesitant to ask.
Believe me, I understand. For much of my life, I dealt with those same issues. It seemed like my results (and my income) were totally dependent on how well someone else did their jobs – materials management, customer service, delivery, etc. No matter how effective I was, my efforts could be totally sabotaged by a problem in inventory, quality control, warehouse or delivery.
How do you deal with this?
1. Put it in perspective.
Keep this in mind. Your customers may point out your problems with delivery, back orders, or quality. As a result, you think that your company is the worst performer out there. The truth is that your company is probably no worse than your competitors. Your customers may complain about you, and since you are the one fielding the complaint, you take it personally and think it is just your company they are complaining about. Trust me, when your competitor is calling on them, they are likely saying the same things about his service to him.
So, your reaction is probably a bit too extreme for the circumstances. Unless you are going through a particularly horrible time, you are probably no worse than your competitors. You probably don’t have any more problems than your competitors do.
So, first, realize that the situation is probably not as bad as you think it is. Relax a little bit.
2. Communicate the specifics to the appropriate powers within your company.
Two keys to this statement:
A. Specifics. Don’t say, “We’re losing business because our price is too high!” Do you know how many times your management has heard that? Hundreds. It has no meaning because it is too general. Say, instead, “I lost a deal for $10,000 at XYZ Corporation because our prices on ABC products were 4% higher than our competitor, CCC Company.” Your boss can’t deal with generalities that have no substance to back them up. But he can deal with the specifics. If you can’t collect and communicate specifics, you’re not going to be persuasive.
B. The appropriate powers. If the problem is delivery, take your case to the head of shipping. If your problem is back orders, take your case to your material manager. Communicate the specifics to those people who have the authority to do something about them. Complaining to your colleagues will not solve anything.
3. Do what you can do to alleviate the problem.
I understand that the problem is some other department or person. However, I also know that your behavior influences your company’s ability to perform. And, while you can’t change other people, and you can’t change other departments, you can change your behavior. So, search for the little things you can do that will help with the problem.
For example, let’s say that you are plagued with back orders. What can you do to positively influence this problem? It may be that:
a. You could be more conservative in your promises to your customer. Instead of promising that new item next week, you could say, “We should be able to deliver that first order within 30 days.” Manage your customer’s expectations. A back order is an order that isn’t received when the customer expects it. Change his expectations, and you’ll impact your back orders.
b. You could communicate new demands to your materials manager before it happens. If you expect an order for a substantial number of gadgets, for example, let your materials manager know how many you expect to sell and when you expect to do it. Don’t let the actual order be a surprise to your inventory control person.
c. You could check on your inventories of an item before you promise delivery of it. You could take a moment to check to see if you have sufficient stock of an item before you tell the customer that he can have it next week.
Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that you are the reason for back orders, or mistakes in shipments, etc. But, you are part of the system. And, by changing your behavior, you can influence the performance of the total system. Accept your responsibility to do what you can to help the situation.
4. Trust your coworkers.
When you are in the heat of the battle away from the office, it is easy to imagine the incompetent and uncaring people who manage things inside. However, when you go speak to them, and see the situation from their point of view, you’ll often discover that they are just as intent on serving the customer as you are. They are, in their areas, just as competent.
Instead of pointing fingers from a distance, see the world from their point of view, have some empathy for them, and trust them to do the job for which they are paid.
5. Be proactively honest with your customers.
Don’t make promises you can’t keep. Don’t make excuses that aren’t real. Don’t blame anyone else. Admit your company’s problems, be honest about what you are doing, and offer the customer some options.
In my tenure as a sales person, back orders were a constant headache. I’d get on the computer every morning, and print out a back order report for the customers I was going to call on that day. I’d then get on the phone with my favorite customer service rep, and strategize how to expedite those orders. I’d have a solution for every back order before I left my house. When I made that day’s calls, I’d say, “XYZ product is backordered, but we expect to receive them on the 10th, and I’ve already put in an expedited order for you. You’ll have them on the 12th.”
I’d proactively identify the problems, create solutions, and then be the one to inform the customer of both.
Hope this helps.
Copyright MMX by Dave Kahle
All Rights Reserved.
Image “Pointing fingers” by Newtown grafitti on Flickr under Creative Commons license.
Posted by Commence on June 26, 2012 under Sales Training |
This is a Sales Question and Answer article from guest poster Dave Kahle, author and leading sales educator. Follow Dave’s latest Tweets at @davekahle.
By Dave Kahle
Q. I have long enjoyed your articles. I am in my second year of being a full commission salesman and wanted to get your advice. When I make an onsite visit or pick up the 500 pound phone and call the customer, I feel like I am begging for work… asking the headmaster for another cup of gruel. I know this isn’t healthy and I genuinely believe my product is of great quality and valuable to the customer.
I get very anxious and apprehensive to, first, pickup the phone, then, to call the customer and try to wade through my nervousness and then try to act confident to get the sale. I work out of a home office separated from the main office which is about two hours away. I can call down and talk to the owner or my production manager for a pep talk or product updates. My challenge, I guess, is self confidence and conviction.
A. Ah…call reluctance. We’ve all been there. There is not a sales person alive who hasn’t, at some time or another, felt the same things you are feeling.
Congratulations on taking the first step. You’ve recognized the problem and correctly diagnosed that the issue lies within yourself. I’m not so sure that conviction is an issue. You’ve indicated that you are convinced that your product is of great quality and valuable to the customer. So, I expect that conviction is not the problem.
The issue is your thoughts and feelings. If you can somehow gain control of those, you’ll control your reluctance, you’ll make more calls and you’ll make them more effectively. Your results will improve; you’ll make more money, enjoy life more, and maybe even retire early to a home in the Caribbean!
It does come down to working with yourself, managing your thoughts and emotions. Sooner or later, almost every sales problem comes down to this. You recognize, of course, that it is your responsibility to manage your thoughts and emotions. Accepting that responsibility is the next positive step to take.
So, you’ve diagnosed the problem, and it is you. You’ve accepted the responsibility to change you, and you’ve bought into the idea that you can, and should, do so.
Now, the question is how.
There are a variety of specific techniques you can try to gain control. Keep experimenting with these different ideas until you find a combination that provides you the control that you want.
The first set of techniques is based on this premise: The reason you are so reluctant is because you are allowing negative thoughts to occupy your mind. The negative thoughts paralyze your actions. So, the key is to eliminate the negative thoughts. You do this, not by focusing on the negative, but rather by substituting positive thoughts. Here are several proven techniques.
1. Commit to a life’s purpose.
Create a specific, detailed statement of your purpose in life. Clarify that. Then post that in front of your work station. See each day’s work, and each set of phone calls, as a means to a much more important end. Focus on achieving your purpose, and the small things will fall into line.
2. Focus on a specific and powerful goal.
This is similar to the technique discussed above, only with a smaller focus. It’s not your life’s purpose that provides you emotional power and strength; it’s some annual or short term goal. Create a written statement of exactly what you want to achieve or acquire. Maybe a new car. Set a deadline.
3. Visualize that goal.
Picture it and put it in front of you in your work station. Now, consider your day’s activities to be minor steps in the process of achieving that goal. It’s not about this phone call; it’s about doing what you need to do to achieve your goal. Focus on the goal, and allow it to overpower any negative thoughts that may enter your mind.
4. Put in positive thoughts.
Somewhere along the line you have picked up a number of negative thoughts that occupy your mind. One way to get rid of them is to push them out of your mind by substituting positive thoughts. Search out a number of positive thoughts and write them down. I have used quotes from famous teachers – like Shakespeare, and positive quotes from the Bible. Here’s an example, “If God can be for you, who can be against you?” Now, read that group of thoughts to yourself before you start every day, at every break, at the end of the day, and every time you feel yourself getting negative. In a few weeks, you’ll find yourself thinking positive, not negative thoughts.
5. Picture success and what it brings.
This is a variation of number two, above. Picture yourself having a great day. Lots of sales, wonderful calls, positive things happening. Now, enjoy the feeling. Relish it. Explore it. Really, thoroughly, experience how it feels to have a successful day. Now, every day, in the morning before you begin, and several times throughout the course of the day, bring up those feelings. Work toward creating them every day. Focus on how it feels to be successful, not the negative thoughts that have occupied you.
The second set of practices is based on a more behavioral approach. This approach skips over the “thoughts and feelings” part of you, and focuses on your action. Here are a few specific techniques to implement these kinds of techniques:
6. Give yourself specific activity numbers and specific rewards.
Set a daily goal. Let’s say something like 20 successful conversations with customers. Then attach a short term, specific reward to the attainment of that goal. When you attain it, for example, you could give yourself one hole of golf to be played that weekend. So, you’re working to reward yourself with a round of golf. You do it by focusing on your behavior.
7. Line up your calls, and discipline yourself to make another call immediately after you hang up from the first one.
So, for example, you set up a list of 20 calls. As soon as you hang up from one, you dial the next with absolutely no time between. The time between is time to think, and that has not been positive for you. So you manage your behavior to focus on the things you need to do, and not allow the thoughts to intervene.
8. Make a warm call first.
Call your production manager, boss, or customer service person first, before you make any cold calls. That gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling, makes you feel like someone really does want to talk to you. Then, immediately jump into the cold call list. Focus on the behavior.
Finally, there are a couple of techniques that fall somewhere between these two approaches.
9. Use positive affirmations.
Write a group of statements about yourself that are positive and specific, and relate to the task at hand. Things like “I have a warm and confident presence on the phone.” “I look forward to every contact I make.” These statements reflect who you would like to become, and are not necessarily reflections of reality. Then, read those affirmations to yourself repeatedly, every day, several times a day. Eventually, you come to believe them. And, eventually, you live up to your beliefs about yourself.
10. Learned optimism.
This is a specific set of techniques that arise out of the research of Martin Seligman, PhD. I’d refer you to his landmark book, “Learned Optimism”, to read the very powerful techniques for self-management.
Every sales person has to come to grips with his greatest enemy and most powerful asset – his/her mind. That often means we need to create disciplines to help us manage ourselves – mentally and emotionally. As you acquire these disciplines, you mature as a sales person, and learn to manage yourself to exceptional performance.
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By the way, you’ll find this kind of insight into dozens of sales issues in our Sales Resource Center. It houses 435 training programs to help every one live more successfully and sell better. All delivered over the internet, 24/7, for one low monthly fee.
Image “Pep Talk” by joellevand on Flickr under Creative Commons license.
About the Author:
Dave Kahle is one of the world’s leadng sales educators. He’s written nine books, presented in 47 states and eight countries, and has helped enrich tens of thousands of sales people and transform hundreds of sales organizations. Sign up for his free weekly Ezine, and for a limited time, receive $547 of free bonuses with the purchase of his latest book, How to Sell Anything to Anyone Anytime.
Copyright MMXII by Dave Kahle
All Rights Reserved.
Posted by Commence on May 23, 2012 under Sales Training |
Today’s challenging economy may be the best thing that’s happened for sales professionals in more than a decade and here is why. Every financial decision at any size company is now going through a level of scrutiny like never before. If you cannot demonstrate that your product or service will provide the customer with a rapid return on investment your chance of winning their business will be greatly diminished.
But what is most important here for sales professionals is the knowledge that due to the current economic uncertainty decisions that were normally made by first level management personnel may now require the approval of senior management.
This means you will need to fight your way to the top in order to win the business or risk spending too much valuable time with people who insist they are the decision makers when indeed they are not. How can you do this without alienating the people involved with the evaluation process? This is the art of good salesmanship.
Take Control of the Sales Process
The first thing you will want to do is establish some rules for how the sales process is going to work. Make sure that the prospect knows that you are willing to put forth a Herculean effort to earn their business as long as the decision makers are part of the selling process. This does not necessarily mean that you have to talk with the CEO on the first call. But you will want to know:
- if the CEO or key decision maker is aware that there is an evaluation process going on,
- that the company is budgeted to make a decision, and
- they have an actual timeframe for doing so.
Obtaining this information won’t win you the business, but it will help to ensure that you have a real prospect and that a decision will at some point be made.
CRM Software can help
If you are in an industry where you are juggling a lot of sales opportunities at one time, CRM software may be a nice tool to use to manage opportunities, follow up on them and make sure that high quality opportunities don’t fall through the cracks.
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